BUS lanes in Currie and Grenfell streets should be scrapped or made to operate at peak times only, Adelaide City councillors say.

Councillors will lobby the next state government to review the lanes because they do not believe the benefits for bus commuters justify the inconvenience to motorists of reducing a major thoroughfare to one traffic lane.

The bus lanes were introduced in July 2012 and operate from 7am-7pm each weekday.

TELL US BELOW: Do you believe the bus lanes are working? Should they be revelant during peak times only?

Transport Department research published later that year found they had improved the overall rates of buses running on time by up to 16 per cent, though the effect on bus travel times through the city was highly varied.

Cr Sandy Wilkinson said the bus lanes had been a “cynical” move by the government to appear to be doing something to improve public transport at minimal cost.

Councillor Sandy Wilkinson believes the bus lanes were established to make it appear as iSource:News Limited

Travel times for eastbound buses in the morning peak improved by an average of just three seconds, the Transport Department’s research found, while results in the evening peak varied from savings of 28 seconds to delays of 24 seconds.

Westbound buses fared better. Travel times improved in the morning by up to a minute and as much as three minutes and nine seconds in the evening.

Car traffic heading east on Currie and Grenfell streets, from West Tce to Pulteney St, was delayed by 64 seconds in the evening peak and 74 seconds at off peak times.

Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said the bus lanes helped move large numbers of people more efficiently but restricting their use to peak times was worth investigating.

Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood says there’s been some benefits to having the bus lanes but itSource:News Limited

Adelaide MP Rachel Sanderson (Liberal) said efficient public transport was important “but the transport network as a whole must be considered to avoid creating unnecessary traffic delays”.

“I support a review of the bus only lanes in the CBD and in particular whether they would work effectively if they operated the same way as clearways and bike lanes, which operate during peak periods,” she said.

If re-elected, the Labor Government has pledged to build a $160 million tunnel connecting the O-Bahn with the cross-city bus lanes.

Labor candidate for Adelaide David O’Loughlin said: “Most cities with major bus operations have priority lanes near or close to city centres. I’m very happy to understand (councillors’) concerns and to work with them and the department to get the best outcome possible.”

Tony Francesca of Hectorville, was fined for stopping his car to reverse parallel park onSource:News Limited

A council committee has voted to write to the government with its concerns.

A staff report said the effect of the bus lanes on car travel times had been minimised by the banning of some right turns along Currie and Grenfell streets.

TELL US BELOW: Do you believe the bus lanes are working? Should they be revelant during peak times only?

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